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How To Master A Bold Lip In 5 Easy Steps

There’s a time and place for model-off-duty waves and “I woke up like this” makeup (read: most days). But a little change never hurt no one—and what better way to add some edge to your tried-and-true look than with a bright pop of color? We enlisted the help of our resident makeup guru and celeb makeup artist, Lauren Andersen, to show us exactly how to get a perfect bold lip with staying power.

Check out the slideshow to find out how to create a bold lip in just five steps!

Step One: Before

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“Your lips should be in good condition before you even start,” Andersen says. “Hydrated lips will keep your lips from cracking and keep the color in place.” She suggests using a humidifier during the colder months to protect your skin from chapping while you sleep.

Step Two: Moisturize

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Andersen says she does her clients’ lip color last in the makeup process, but always conditions them before she does anything else. “I condition their lips, then I prep their skin,” she says. “This allows the conditioner to absorb into their lips.” After finishing the rest of their makeup, she wipes off any excess lip moisturizer and starts filling them in.

Step Three: Line Lips

Step Four: Fill In

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Next, you can either take your lip liner, fill in the rest of your lips, and then apply a layer of lipstick on top, or skip straight to lipstick. “The more matte the texture, the longer it’s going to last,” Andersen says. “All my lipsticks are chopped down and organized into palettes, so I have to use a brush, but I think applying directly from the tube is easy. Because of the way most lipsticks are shaped, you actually get a nice, crisp shape.”

Step Five: Blot

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Take a tissue, and place it between your lips to blot the color and allow it to set. Then, apply another layer of lipstick.

Step Six: Clean Up

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Clean up the edges of your lipstick by using a Q-tip dipped in makeup remover. Then, Andersen suggests using a flat concealer brush and tracing around your lip to perfect the line.